I began writing for Forbes in 2010. It was just as the economy was starting to perk up and a fascinating time to cover the stock market, which I did for three months until I switched beats in September 2010. Now I contribute to the Leadership channel, with a focus on jobs and careers–-another hot topic in a time when people are vigorously hunting for jobs or desperately trying to hold on to the ones they have. I have a BA from the University of Arizona and a master's degree in journalism from Hofstra University. Follow me on Twitter @JacquelynVSmith, subscribe to me on Google+, or email me at jsmith [at] forbes [dot] com.

New Survey Finds Fewer Workers Living Paycheck-To-Paycheck This Year

Many American workers continue to experience financial challenges—but a new survey just released by CareerBuilder shows that fewer people are living paycheck-to-paycheck this year.

Forty percent of workers report that they always or usually live paycheck-to-paycheck, which is a slight decrease from 42% in 2011. The number of those reliant on their next paycheck has decreased steadily since 2008, when it peaked at 46%.

“This has trended down since the early days of the financial crisis, and I think this reflects a better economic environment,” says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. “While there’s still a lot uncertainty, the economic situation in the U.S. and other markets is better. The job market is improving. We certainly want to see more job creation at this point in the recovery, but the general sentiment is more positive. People are more confident in their job security, they’re taking steps to pay down debt and save more and I think those are all encouraging signs.

The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive between May 14 and June 4, 2012 among more than 3,800 full-time workers, also found that 37% of workers say they sometimes live paycheck-to paycheck, while 23% say they never do. Twenty percent of workers were unable to make ends meet at least once in the last year.

“The recession had a profound effect on so many households, where people were struggling to find any source of income,” Haefner says. “Many families are still challenged with figuring out how to rebuild and get ahead.”

Workers making at least $100,000 feel more confident this year. Just 12% of them always or usually live paycheck-to-paycheck, trending down from 14% in 2011 and 17% in 2010.

“The financial strains caused by the recession really impacted workers in all earning brackets,” Haefner says. “Twelve percent of workers who earn six figures reported struggling to make ends meet. However, those earning less than $50,000 were the most likely to report living paycheck to paycheck.

The survey also asked workers about what they’ve cut back on since the start of the recession, and a majority (59%) said they now spend less on leisure activities. Many, however, admitted there are certain expenses that are too important to give up, such as Internet service, driving, pets, cable and cell phones.

“The majority of workers (72%) said they are more fiscally responsible today than they were at the start of the recession,” Haefner says. “The recession really became an exercise in identifying ‘wants’ and ‘must haves.’ I think people are more conscientious today of how they spend and how they budget. “

More than a quarter of workers do not save anything each month, but 30% save more than $250 and 10% save more than $1,000. Sixty-seven percent of workers contribute to a 401(k), IRA or a comparable retirement plan—but 20% of them said they reduced their contributions in the last year.

“Life can throw you a lot of curve balls and if you don’t have savings to fall back on, that can have serious consequences,” Haefner says. “You don’t want debt to get away from you. You want to be able to cover expenses and enjoy the things that you want to do in life.”

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